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       "The Sultan lives in Lena:"  I said leaning my back against the veined tree trunk: "I
don't know how it happened: but he's hiding in her avatar's hardware.       And he can leave
anytime."
       "Interesting denouement:" said Natasha and turned onto her stomach.
       "Is it? Then why can't I see the plot threads clearly?"
       "Because you're a dream flier?" :she tickled my nose with a long stem.
       "And you're not? All this here is one big mutual dream."
       "Someone don't dream nicely."
       "But why is he there? He should have been erased forever."
       "Maybe because you can't erase him.     You can't erase evil.      It always shows up
somewhere. And what is it anyway? What is evil for that gazelle?"
       "Ok: but Lena.."
       "Just her and no one else."
       "What do you mean?"
       "Why don't you ask her?"
       "You know how she is. She's silent or looking at her watch."
       "They share a common past:  reaching back to the days of Alading.    He forced her to
transfer him here: and then: she transfered herself to punish him."
       "Then I don't understand it at all."
       "Maybe she really can't delete him: or she doesn't want to: maybe she wants to tortu-
re him:" said Natasha and her black eyes sparkled.
       "I doubt if any violence is done on him   - I didn't tell you -      he took complete
control of my body - he made me a powerless spectator."
       "He can't come back here: because he would be immediately exposed and quarantined   -
and she would have to connect in to wipe him out:   which he would use without hesitation to
escape - and there you have it   - deadlock -  if you don't know something: ask your Natasha
Deary:" she said proudly: pouting her lips and lifting her chin up.
       "He can run away at any time."
       "Which she probably doesn't know about."
       I sighed: licked my thumb: and wiped a red drop from her lip.
       "Confrontation is inevitable."  she added:  turning onto her side  and supporting her
head with a hand resting on her elbow.
       "You are beautiful."
       "I played a lot of sports in my childhood."
       "Gymnastics?"
       "Yes. Is it visible?"